From Paper to Practice: HR in Independent Schools

Finance & Operations Practice Leader, Creative Independents
Since 2021, Robert has served as a consultant with Creative Independents, specializing in financial operations, tuition elasticity analysis, and long-term financial modeling and forecasting for independent school projects nationwide.

Robert dedicated the latter half of his career to independent schools, holding the role of Chief Financial & Operating Officer at various day and boarding institutions with student populations ranging from 325 to 1,550. His independent school tenure began at St. Paul's School in Baltimore, where he spent seven years after transitioning from the high-tech industry. He was subsequently recruited to Asheville, NC, where he served Carolina Day School and Asheville School for nearly a decade. His final assignment before retirement was as CFOO for Charlotte Latin School in Charlotte, NC. Additionally, during his independent school career, he twice assumed the role of acting Head of School during leadership transitions.

In his capacity as CFOO, Robert managed diverse administrative units including the business office, facilities, technology, human resources, school store, athletics department, and auxiliary services. He spearheaded initiatives to enhance endowment management, refine annual budgeting and forecasting processes, establish cost-effective operations, transition tuition structures to a market-based strategy, and oversee numerous construction projects. Robert also contributed six years of service to the MISBO Board.

Enrollment Management & Advancement Practice Leader, Creative Independents
George L. "Geordie" Mitchell, Jr. is an accomplished educational educator and administrator with extensive leadership experience in enrollment management, school advancement, and strategic institutional growth. He just ended his 44 year career working full-time in independent schools where he was most recently the Assistant Head of School for Advancement at La Jolla Country Day School, directing all functions across admissions, financial aid, marketing, and philanthropy.

Prior to his current role, Geordie spent over a decade as the Director of Enrollment Management and Strategic Initiatives at Buckingham Browne & Nichols School (BB&N) in Massachusetts, and served as Assistant Head of School for External Relations at Wilmington Friends School. Over his career, he has successfully managed multi-million dollar capital campaigns, modernized admissions operations through data and technology, and built high-functioning, collaborative teams. Geordie’s roots in education also span the classroom and athletic fields, having served as a teacher, coach, and student adviser.

An expert in merging data with enrollment strategy, Geordie frequently presents at prominent domestic and international conferences, including NAIS, CASE, and EducatePlus. He holds an M.Ed from Lesley University, a BA from Haverford College, and is a founding board member of the Association of Independent School Admissions Professionals (AISAP), which honored him with the 2021 Andy Noel Award. He also serves as the Board Chair for Common Ground on the Hill.